Page 23 - the NOISE February 2015

BY CLAIR ANNA ROSE & GRACE FENLASON
cations people recognize. There are the Peaks, a couple of familiar back alleys from downtown, and a lot of Aspens and their shadows,” explains Ms. Owen.
Ms. Owen became interested in art through her work life. She worked as an art director for an advertising agency in Los Angeles, working closely with artists who specialized in water- color and pastel as their mediums. “I enjoyed working with the watercolor- ists and wanted to try it for myself,” she explains. After moving to Flagstaff with her young family in 1994, she began to paint watercolors and explore her ar- tistic talent. She also took workshops and taught herself using self-study to improve her technique.
Since then Ms. Owen has thrived in the art world. She has won multiple awards from the Northern Arizona Wa- tercolor Society, the Plein-Air Moab Competition, the Arizona Watercolor Association, and Arizona Plein-Air Paint- ers. Most recently, she won a merit award from the Escalante 2014 Plein-Air Competition.
Even with her success, she attends workshops and is constantly studying techniques. She also teaches a beginner class and participates in a critique group.
In addition to her exhibit at the Art- ists’ Gallery, Ms. Owen was invited to participate in the 10 x 10 Exhibition at Coconino Center for the Arts, which will run until February 14. She is currently working on painting for the Northern Arizona Watercolor Society competi- tion. Flagstaffartistsgallery.com
NEW AGE DRINKS, a gallery and studio located in Jerome, is exhibiting two complementary series by local artist Travis Iurato: “Placard Paintings,” and “Desert Paintings.” The “Placard Paintings,” are a series of 43 works on car price placards dating from 1949. His work is a creative and complicated thicket of squiggles, waves, and zigzags that correspond with a particular alpha- betic or numeric character.
Mr. Iurato graduated from The Coo- per Union for the Advancement of Sci- ence and Art in New York City in 2009. He relocated to Verde Valley after living and working in New York City for seven years. Mr. Iurato has shown widely across the country and is included in numerous private collections.
The opening will occur on the First Saturday Jerome ArtWalk February 7, with refreshments and music begin- ning at 5PM. The paintings will be on view through the month of February, and the artist will be present during gallery hours, Friday through Monday 10AM to 5PM, to discuss the work. New Age Drinks is located at the Old Jerome High School. newagedrinks.org.
THE ARTISTS’ COALITION of Flagstaff Gallery has moved to 117 N. Beaver Street inside Tam’s Pendleton Boutique. Join in celebrating a Grand Opening during the February 6 First Fri- day ArtWalk. Flagstaff-arts.org
ARIZONA HANDMADE / Fire on the Mountain Gallery reflects in Febru- ary by featuring glass artist Judi Hartman. Ms. Hartman is a self-taught artist of 20 years and owns her own glass studio. She has been making custom stained, bev- eled, etched, and fused glass work in Flag- staff since 1985. As well as creating her own art, she occasionally teaches classes in numerous disciplines, including: fusion, lead, and copper foil.
Ms. Hartman’s pieces are made with crushed glass as well as glass paint, blown glass, and cut glass. Many of her inspira- tions are the culture of the Southwest, such as the canyons, flora, and animals.
“Glass is such a joyful medium, and I never tire of the beauty of light streaming through glass,” says Ms. Hartman. Arizonahandma- degallery.com
FEATURED AT FIRECREEK Coffee Company, Chrissy Summers is a self- taught artist who works mostly in water- color and mixed media. Ms. Summers worked for 12 years in the tattoo industry before she decided to dedicate more time and effort to painting with a more refined approach. Ms. Summer’s paintings are in- spired by mythology, philosophy, and ran- dom musings among other things. She just completed a set of illustrations for a book, which is in the process of publica- tion. firecreekcoffee.com
Have art? arts@thenoise.us
thenoise.us • the NOISE arts & news • FEBRUARY 2015 • 23